Ignition device.



c.' RUDOLF. IGNITION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 191 0. -l 4 l 980,441. I Patented Jan 3, 1911.

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IGNITION DEVICE. PPLIUATION FILED ulm-1, 1910.

Patented Jan.3, 1911.

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CHARLES RUDOLF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IGNITION DEVICE.

Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application led January 24, 1910. Serial No. 539,751.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RUDOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ignition Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to pocket lighters; and my primary object is to provide an improved device of the character indicated adapted to serve as a magazine for a repeating match, or continuous strip, provided at intervals with ignition material, and adapted also to feed the successive match-lengths from the magazine and pro-- duce ignition thereof, according to desire.

The invention is illustrated in its pre` ferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view, partly in section, of my improved ignition device, the continuous strip of material comprising the match-lengths being shown brokenly; Fig. 2, a section taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a Section taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a view illustrating a modilication.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, in the preferred construction, A represents a casing; B, a reel contained therein; and C, reel actuating and controlling mechanism. The casing may be of any suitable form. Preferably it is of the circular form shown, comprising a cylindrical wall 1 and a top wall 2. The lower wall of the casing comprises a disk 3 firmly secured to the upper wall 2 by a central post 4; and a removable annular plate 5 which closes the space between the periphery of the disk 3 and the lower edge of the cylindrical wall or flange 1. The annular plate or closure 5 may be removed to enable a fresh match-roll to be applied to the reel.

In the form illustrated, the reel B comprises a disk 6 provided on its lower surface at some distance from its periphery with a depending flange 7 which serves as a spool for the match-roll 8. The lower edge of the flange 7 is provided with teeth 9 adapted to be engaged by a spring-pawl 10 which serves to prevent retrograde movement of the reel during the winding operation.

The mechanism C comprises a tubular shaft 11 encircling the central post 4 and extending through a central perforation in the disk 6; a ratchet-wheel 12 located above the reel and secured to said tubular shaft; a pawl 13 pivoted on the disk 6 and held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchetwheel 12 by a spring 14; a transverse shaft 15 disposed above the ratchet-wheel 12 and connected with the tubular shaft 11 by bevel gears 16, 17, said shaft being longitudinally slidable in bearings 18 depending from the casing-top, and one end of said shaft projecting through the cylindrical wall 1 and equipped with an actuating-knob 19; a coilspring 20 encircling the shaft 15 and conlined between one of the bearings 18 and a collar 21 on said shaft; a stop 22 depending from the top wall 2 near the inner end of the shaft 15; a series of depressible spring-stops 23 applied to the upper surface l of the disk 6 near the periphery thereof and adapted to successively engage the stop 22; a bell-crank lever 24 pivoted on the stopmember 22 and having a shank 25 through the medium of which the bell-crank is adapted to be actuated by the shaft 15 against the resistance of a spring 26; and a powerspring 27 having one end lixedly secured to the lower end portion of the tubular shaft 11 and the other end secured to a stud 2S carried by the disk 3.

It will now be understood that the spring 27 may be wound by turning the shaft 15 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, thus turning the ratchet-wheel 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. In the winding operation the pawl 13 slips over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, while the pawl 1() prevents retrograde movement of the drum. The bell-crank 24 is so disposed that its free end lies immediately above the spring-stop 23 which chances to be in engagement with the casing-carried stop 22. When desired, the shaft 15 may be pressed inwardly or longitudinally, to actuate the bell-crank, thereby to depress the adjacent spring-stop, whereupon the spring 27 will move the reel one step, or until the next succeeding spring-stop 23 engages the stationary stop 22.

The match-roll 8 is composed of a somewhat stiftV1 strip of flexible inflammable material, such as cardboard or other suitable material, and is provided at regular intervals with pellets of ignition material 29.

4 portion 3 1 of the egress opening, or matchslot.

` From the foregoing description, it Will be understood that after the magazine has been charged with a match-roll whose outer end is projected through the slot 30, it is only necessary, assuming the spring 27 to 4have been wound, to press the button 19 and thus,

through the medium of the shaft 15, actuate the bell-crank lever 24 and depress the adjacent spring-stop 23, whereupon the spring 27 will rotate theV reel through one step or space, thereby thrusting a match-length through the slot 30 and causing the same to become ignited. It will be understood, of course, that the ignition pellets are spaced 'apart to correspond approximately with the distance between the spring-stops 23. When it is necessary to apply a fresh match-,roll to the wheel or spool,this may be accomplished by removing the annular closure 5, Without disturbing the mechanism of the device.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 4, A represents a casing divided into chambers BQ'and 33, one of which contains a reel B4, and the other of which contains strip-actuating mechanism' C. lIn this case, the match-strip 34 passes over the reel about a roller 35 and then emerges lthrough a channel 86 having a contracted. orifice-37. The mechanism C4 `comprises a star-wheel 38 having teeth 39 adapted to engage the strip 34 in its passage through the channel 86 and thereby unwind the roll and project the match-stripes desired. The star-wheel is actuated and-controlled in its movement in the same manner as is the drum B in the first-described construction. As a means for keeping the match-roll in compact form, I have shown the same engaged by a roller 40 journaled in the end of a spring 41 applied to theinner surface of the circumferential wall 1 of the casing A. Y

It is noteworthy'that my invention provides for storing power in a simple manner to actuate the match-strip, and "provides a simple controlling device or escapement which enables the successive match-lengths to be fed out lina step-by-step movement as a result of pressing inwardly on the button 19 when a light isfdesired.

rIhe foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of, understanding only. Hence `no undue limit-ation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in View of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with means for storing a continuous match-strip, of ejecting mechanism comprising a coiled spring, and means for controlling the unwinding of the spring for imparting to the strip a uniform stepby-step movement, whereby the stored Apower of said spring may be employed to project the successive match lengths, at will.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a magazine adapted to contain a match-roll, said magazine lhaving an egress passage with means for causing ignition ofthe ignition pellets when forced therethrough, a rotary member adapted to thrust the successive match-lengths through said egress passage, a power-spring, means for winding said power-spring and means for controlling the unwinding of the spring for imparting to said rotary membera uniform step-by-step movement under the action of said spring for ejecting said successive match-lengths.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a magazine adapted to contain a match-roll and provided with an egress passage, a rotary member adapted to project successive lengths of the match-strip, a power-spring having one end connected with a stationary part, a shaft connected with the other end of said spring, a ratchetwheel secured to .said shaft,'a pawl connected with said rotary member and co-acting with said ratchet-wheel, a Winding shaft geared to said first-named shaft, and an escapement for said rotary member controlled by said winding shaft.

4. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a magazine, a drum therein and adapted to receive a match-roll, a power-spring adapted to aotuate said drum, winding means for said spring, and an escapementV permitting a step by step movement to said drum, at will.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a magazine, a drum journaled therein, a shaft co-axial with said drum, a spr-ing having one end secured to said shaft and the other end secured to said magazine, a ratchet-wheel secured to said shaft, a co-acting pawl carried by said drum, a winding shaft geared to said first-named shaft, and an escapement for said drum.

6. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a magazine, a drum journaled therein, a shaft co-axial with said drum, a spring having one end secured to said shaft andthe other end secured to said magazine, a ratchet-wheel secured to said shaft', a co-acting paWl carried by said drum,

a Winding-shaft geared to said first-named shaft, and an escapement for said drum adapted to be actuated by said Winding shaft.

7. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a casing comprising a circumferential Wall, a top Wall and a bottom disk, an annular closure for the Space between the periphery of said disk and said circumferential Wall, a drum adapted to receive a match-roll above said annular closure, a power-spring adapted to actuate said drum, means for Winding said spring, and an escapement for said drum.

8. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a drum adapted to carry a matcheroll, a casing in Which said drum is contained, a power-spring connected With said casing and adapted to actuate said drum, a ratchet-device adapted to prevent retrograde movement of said drum during the Winding operation, means for Winding said spring, and an escapement for said drum.

9. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a casing, a rotary member in the casing adapted to receive a matchroll, a spring, means connecting said spring with said rotary member and operating to drive it and thrust the strip from said mem* ber through the casing, and means for controlling the action of said spring.

l0. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a casing, a rotary member in the casing adapted to receive a match-roll, a spring operating to drive said rotary member, said spring and rotary member having a common axis of rotation, and means for controlling the unwinding of said spring, for the purpose set forth.

l1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a casing, a rotary member in the casing adapted to receive a matchroll, a coiled spring for driving said rotary member surrounded by the latter, and means for controlling the unwinding of the spring.

l2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a casing, a match-roll supported in the casing, a power spring adaptedto drive the match-roll, an escapement device for controlling the `unwinding of the spring, and a combined spring-Winding and escapement-actuating device, for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES RUDOLF. In presence of- J. G. ANDERSON,- R. A. SGHAEFER. 

